Fernando Diniz will have important absences from the Brazilian team for the matches against Colombia and world champion Argentina, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The interim commander will not be able to count on goalkeeper Ederson, midfielder Casemiro and striker Richarlison, but the The main absence will be Neymar, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee in the 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in Montevideo, in the last FIFA Data. The player recently underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for around ten months.
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“Being without Neymar is always a loss for Brazilian football and football as a whole. I have already said it more than once: he is a football genius, one of the greatest players in history”, said Diniz, in a press conference after the Brazilian team was called up.
Without Neymar, Diniz will have at his disposal Vinicius Júnior (Real Madrid), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) and Raphinha (Barcelona), as well as newcomers Endrick (Palmeiras), João Pedro (Brighton), Pepê (Porto) and Paulinho (Atlético-MG). The different styles of the forwards called up allow us to think of different ways to form the team.
The tendency is for Diniz to keep the team playing in 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1, for the most aficionados), the formation chosen by Tite when winning the 2019 Copa América, without Neymar. The scheme was used by the Flu coach in all the matches in which he was in charge of the national team, with two midfielders and Neymar at the tip of the pyramid in midfield. Against Venezuela and Uruguay, the attacking trio was formed by Rodrygo, Gabriel Jesus and Vini Jr. In previous matches, against Bolivia and Peru, the attackers were Raphinha, Richarlison and Rodrygo.
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The most likely is that Rodrygo will be reassigned to Neymar’s position and Raphinha will regain his place on the right wing. “Rodrygo is indeed a possibility (for replacement), because if you look at the way he plays, more on the side, he is close to Neymar. It’s a possibility, but nothing has been defined”, commented Diniz. Another option is to keep Rodrygo open and just replace Neymar with Raphael Veiga, from Palmeiras, the only attacking midfielder called up by Fernando Diniz. Despite being with the group, Gabriel Jesus is recovering from injury and Endrick could be an option as a center forward.
ANDRÉ REFERENCE AND NEWS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
A key player in Diniz’s scheme at Fluminense, midfielder André has a chance to start as a starter due to the absence of Casemiro, who has a thigh injury. The 22-year-old player pleases the coach with his quality and could be selected ahead of the defenders, in a 4-1-4-1 formation. In this case, Bruno Guimarães would be one of the starting midfielders, with Joelinton and Douglas Luiz fighting for the other spot. Rodrygo and Vini Jr. would act open.
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ANCELOTTI’S RHOMBUS
Carlo Ancelotti does not confirm, but the CBF guarantees that the Italian will be the coach of the Brazilian team from July 2024. The Real Madrid coach needed to reinvent the way the team played after Benzema’s departure to Al-Ittihad, from Saudi Arabia. He gave up the 4-3-3 to create a scheme with a diamond in midfield, with the revelation Bellingham more advanced, and removing Rodrygo and Vini Jr. from the wings to a more centralized position.
If he wishes to keep the Brazilian duo playing for the national team in the same way they are playing for Real, Diniz can opt for Bruno Guimarães to play more advanced, with the midfield reinforced by André, Douglas Luiz and Joelinton. Another option is to place Rodrygo as an attacking midfielder, pulling Guimarães back, and placing Gabriel Jesus, Endrick or Paulinho, who plays a similar role at Atlético-MG, in front.
FLU MODE WITH FOUR ATTACKERS
The range of players with technical quality in the Brazilian team would also allow Diniz to assemble a team with four attackers. He played this way in decisive moments of the season with Flu, such as in the 2-1 victory over Internacional, in Beira-Rio, in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores semi-final. The coach selected an attack with Arias, Cano, John Kennedy and Keno, playing only André and Ganso in midfield. In the Brazilian team, the most likely options up front would be Raphinha, Rodrygo, Jesus (Endrick or Paulinho) and Vini Jr, with Bruno Guimarães and trusted man André.
The Brazilian team faces Colombia this Thursday, in Barranquilla, at 9 pm (Brasília time), and faces Argentina on Tuesday, at 9:30 pm, at Maracanã. Brazil is in third place in the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, with seven points, behind Uruguay, with the same score, and Argentina, with 12.
